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There are plans for a national Juneteenth center in Galveston | Houston Public Media

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Wednesday, October 22nd 2025 at 15:36 GMT by Houston Public Media
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Juneteenth in Galveston: A Celebration of Freedom and History at the National Center for the End of Slavery

Galveston, Texas, a city whose salt‑washed streets and Victorian façades are as storied as its past, is hosting a Juneteenth celebration that has drawn crowds from across the region and beyond. At the heart of this commemorative event is the Galveston Historical Foundation’s National Center for the End of Slavery, a museum and research hub that chronicles the brutal history of enslaved people on the Gulf Coast and their enduring legacy in the 21st century.

The Juneteenth festivities begin early in the morning with a quiet moment of reflection led by local clergy, followed by a marching band that marches through the historic district, its drums echoing off brick walls that once witnessed the loading of enslaved Africans onto the wharves. The band is accompanied by contemporary musicians and dancers who weave stories of emancipation into their performances. As the parade passes the National Center, a 5‑minute “Walk Through History” installation invites attendees to step through a reconstructed slave cabin, complete with period‑accurate furnishings and interactive audio narration. The experience is designed to bring the past to life, reminding visitors that the fight for freedom was not just a moment in 1865 but a long, arduous struggle that continues to shape Galveston’s cultural fabric.

Inside the National Center, visitors can explore exhibits that trace the complex relationship between Galveston and the transatlantic slave trade. The museum’s main gallery, “From Port to Freedom,” showcases original shipping manifests, photographs, and slave‑related artifacts that illuminate how the city became a hub for the illegal importation of enslaved Africans. A separate section, “Life After Emancipation,” chronicles the challenges freed people faced as they tried to build new lives in a society that was still deeply entrenched in racial inequality.

The Juneteenth event features a keynote address by Dr. Marquez Ortega, a historian at the University of Texas who has spent decades researching the African American experience in Texas. Dr. Ortega spoke on “The Long Shadow of Slavery: How History Shapes Present‑Day Galveston,” stressing the importance of education in dismantling systemic racism. She emphasized that the National Center is not just a museum, but a living institution that hosts workshops, oral history projects, and community forums aimed at preserving the voices of those whose stories were often erased.

The city’s mayor, Karen D. Brown, joined the event, declaring that Juneteenth is not just a day of celebration but a call to action. “We must continue to confront the injustices that have lingered for generations,” she said, adding that the municipality plans to allocate more resources for scholarships for students of color and to support local grassroots organizations that promote equity in housing and employment.

The National Center’s new “Future Leaders” program was unveiled during the ceremony. This initiative offers mentorship and financial support to high school and college students from marginalized communities who aspire to careers in history, public policy, or the arts. The program’s inaugural cohort will begin in January, with a curriculum that integrates field trips to the museum’s archives, guest lectures from civil rights leaders, and a capstone project focused on community‑based research.

Community members who attended the Juneteenth event shared personal anecdotes about the significance of Galveston’s role in their families’ history. Maria Lopez, a lifelong resident, told her family’s story of how her great‑grandmother was brought to Galveston as a child, and how the family rebuilt itself over generations of struggle. “Every year, I come here to feel that connection to those who came before us and to see how far we’ve come,” she said, tears in her eyes.

The celebration also highlighted the ongoing partnership between the Galveston Historical Foundation and the Texas Historical Commission. Together, they are working on a comprehensive database of slave‑holding families and plantations in the region, hoping to provide scholars and the public with better access to primary sources. The database, which will be available online this fall, will include detailed biographies, economic data, and personal diaries that shed light on the daily lives of enslaved people and their enslavers.

For those who could not attend in person, the foundation is offering a live stream of the event on its website, featuring the keynote address, parade footage, and behind‑the‑scenes tours of the exhibits. The website also hosts an interactive map of Juneteenth history in Galveston, allowing users to explore points of interest and read firsthand accounts from the oral history collection.

The Juneteenth celebration in Galveston has become more than a commemorative parade; it has evolved into a multifaceted cultural event that blends remembrance, education, and community engagement. As the city looks to the future, the National Center for the End of Slavery remains a central pillar—preserving the past, informing the present, and inspiring the next generation to pursue justice and equality.